Fuel-tank-sealing valve.



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To all @07mm t may concern.'

Be 1t known'that I, JOHN B. Tarn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new" 'lize liquid fuel and particularly to a novel valve adapted for application to such tanks. It is now becoming common practice to employ a fuel tank located at the rear of automobiles and below the level of the carbureter, the fuel being fed into a small elevated tank by vacuum induced in the intake manifold of the engine., lt is essen!- tial in such systems thatv the tank be provided with a vent or small aperture, preferably located in the filler cap in order to permit of the entrance of air to replace the liquid Withdrawn from the tank. This aperture, although of small size, results in the loss of considerable fuel by vaporization. Furthermore, Whenthe tank is full or partly full, more or less fuel escapes through the opening by splashing when the car is in motion.

Not only is there considerable loss in the manner described, but there is considerable dan er as Well. The sloping of the fuel on t e exterior of the tank presents the conetant danger of fire, and in the event of an accident in which the car is overturned the escape-of gasolene at this point should .be avoided. An object in the present construction i's to provide means whereby the fuel vtank is normally sealed, although permitting the entrance of air to com ensate for the withdrawal of fuel. A furt er object is to so construct the valve as to insure its operation at aoll times even though one or both of the controlling springs therefor should be broken.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in Which-` --Fi'gure l is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobile having a tank which has my improvement applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the valve showing its application to the tank, and

Fig. l3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

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Application filed August 25, 197i?. Serial 15e. Mama.

ln the drawing it will be seen that the improvement is applied to a tank 10 Vlocated at the rear of an automobile, the tank having a iilling opening adapted to be closed by a cap ll in the usual manner.

lhe valve of my inventionccmprises a casing l2 having an integral Eange '13,.the casing being seated in a suitable Vaperture le formed at the center of the cap. A. pack- 6 the apertures i9 and .20 the latter being 75 formed in a threaded closure 2l for the upper end of the cavity. Wo grooves 22, 23, are formed on the walls of the cavity, the lower end or the forrner'being at a point above the lower end of the cavity, the upper 'end of the latter groove being at a point 'below the upper end ofthe cavity. These grooves are in eeet lay-passes which operate in conjunction with the cylindrical valve-member 24 which closely ts thecavity but is fairly reciprocable therein. rh'el valve member is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2.by upper and lower springs 25 and 26 respectively, the ends of which are received within recesses formed in the respective ends of the valve member. The upper spring 25 is considerably stronger than the lower spring andr each spring is formed of such length that when the valve is in the position shown,that is, al1-intermediate position in which both the by-passes 22 and 23 are closed, the springs are inert, that is,. neither thereof is exerting expansive force. Thus, when the parts are in normal position, neither of the springs is compressed, and there is no tendency toward breakage thereof. When a small vacuum is induced in the tank l0, the weaker sprin 26 will be overcome and the valve memoer pulled downwardly until the by-pass 23 is open and air- 105 sov in that event thel valve member will drop to an extent suiicient to open the by-pass 23. Evenunder those circumstances, there can be no escape of fuel from the tank, as any movement of the liquid forcibly through the opening 19 will lift the valve member and Y close the by-pass 23.

It will be understood that it is not essential that the valve-member be located in the filler' cap as shown. lt is shown in this position because of the simplicity in applying the same. Neither is the invention limv'ited for use in connection with the Vfuel means for withdrawing fuel therefrom by' vacuum, and means to automatically open an intake in the reservoir topermit the intake of air under a reduction of pressure in the reservoir and to close the intake'when normal pressure is restored.

3. A valve comprising in combination a casing, and a valve member fitting within the casing and reciprocable therein, said casing having two internal grooves which. terminate in the plane of the valve-member when the same occupies an intermediate position, the opposite ends of the grooves communicating with the opposite open ends of thecasing, substantially as described.

4. A valve comprising in combination, a

casing having a cylindrical opening, the internal Wall of the'casing having. a pair of longitudinally-offset grooves, a cylinder closely' 'fitting and reciprocable Within the opening, said-grooves being so positioned that vone end of both thereof is closed When the cylinder is in an intermediate position, substantially as described. l

5. A valve comprising in combination, a casing having a cylindrical opening, the internal Wall of the casing having a pair of longitudinally -oifset grooves, a cylinder closely fitting and reciprocable within the opening, said grooves being so positioned that one end of both thereof is closed when the cylinder is in an intermediate position, and a spring at each end of said cylinderfor causing the same normally to lie in an intermediate position, substantially as described.

6.a, valve comprising in combination, a

casing having a cylindrical opening, the internal Wall of the casing having a pair of longitudinally o'set grooves, a cylinder closely fitting and reciprocable Within the opening, said vrooves being so positioned that oneend o both thereof is closed when thel cylinder is in an intermediate position, and a spring at each end of said cylinder,

said springs being so designed as to exert no force when the cyhnder is in normal position, substantially as described.

7. ln a valve, a hollow casing, a cylinder closely tting therein, said casing being prof videdv with a plurality of by-passes around the cylinder, said by-passes' being so positioned as to provide a point at which all communication through the valve is closed, and compression springs' one at each end of the cylinder, said springs being fully eX- panded when the cylinder is at the point of closed communication, .substantially as dei' scribed.

A8. ln a valve, a hollow casing, a cylinder closely fitting therein, said casing being provided With a plurality of by-passes around the cylinder, saidby-passes being so positioned as to provide a point at which all communication through the valve is closed, and compression springs one at. each end of sof the cylinder, said springs being of di'erent v capacities, substantially as described.

9. ln a valve, a hollow casing, a cylinder closely fitting therein, said casing being provided With a plurality of by-passes around thecylinder, said' by-passes being so -positioned as 15o-.provide a point at which all communication through the valve is closed, and compression springs 'one' at each end of the cylinder, said springs being of diiferent ico capacities and being fully expanded when the cylinder is at the point-atwbich coinmunication through the valve is closed, substantially as described.

JOHN B. TATE.

r`Witness: A

v Y G. GREENE. 

